Some simple money saving tips! #NotJustAMom

Here I am linking up with the Not Just A Mom ladies: Adrienne at Mom Life With Adrienne, Dara at Not In Jersey, Jen at Show Me and Sweet Tea, Joanne at Slices of Life, Lauren at Don't Mind our Mess and Sarah at Toronto Sam.

This months prompt is: Money Saving Tips. Here in the UK we are in a Cost of Living crisis or so the government is calling it. We are all tightening our belts a little and trying to save a few pennies and pounds where ever we can. Sometimes it's good to have a little reminder of the simple things we can do to save a bit of money.

Create a Budget and Track Your Spending: Establish a budget that outlines your income and all your expenses. This helps you track where your money is going and identify areas where you can cut back. By keeping a record of all your expenditures you can understand your spending habits better and identify unnecessary expenses.

We do this about once a year, mostly to check where our money is going. In the past we have realised we were paying for an aftercare service where if our TV in the living room broke down they would send someone to fix it or replace it if it is unrepairable. We paid this for about 6 months after we had bought a new TV. It was only £5 a month but that could have been spent elsewhere or saved.

Cook at Home: Eating out can be expensive. Cooking meals at home is generally more cost effective and allows you to control the ingredients and portions.

This seems to be easier said than done for us, we don't go out many places for enjoyment so a breakfast or burger out is a treat. What we have done is cut back on the takeaways. We only have one once a month now and sometimes not even that.

Limit Impulse Buying: Before making a purchase, especially larger ones, give yourself time to think if it's a necessity or just an impulse buy.

I am good at this especially when it comes to expensive things. I am not so good when I am out in town and I see pretty things or amazing smelling candles. 

Use Cashback and Rewards: Take advantage of cashback offers, loyalty programmes, and credit card rewards to earn discounts and save on your purchases.

I use all the supermarket loyalty programmes and save for Christmas and cashback websites. I try to save everything up for the year and spend the savings at Christmas. It really makes things easier.

Buy Generic Brands: Often, generic or store brand products are just as good as name brands but at a lower cost.

We have cut right back on branded goods, we used to love Heinz tomato ketchup but now go for the supermarkets own brand which saves a couple of pounds per bottle. I only used to eat Heinz baked beans but now I hate them, the supermarket own brand one's are much tastier. The only thing I won't compromise on is Weetabix, the supermarket one's taste like cardboard and I think I have tried them all.

Use Public Transportation or Carpool: If feasible, use public transportation or carpool to reduce fuel and maintenance costs.

Neither my fella and I drive and rely on public transport and have realised if Stu did drive it would be more expensive for him to take a car to work. It's £4 a day on the bus but if he was to take a car there would be the £3 toll to cross the big bridge near us per day, the £3 parking per day and the cost of fuel and to run a car. Public transport is a cheaper option for us.

DIY Maintenance: Learn basic home and car maintenance tasks to avoid paying for professional services for every minor issue.

My dad and my fella are pretty good when it comes to DIY and they have taught me a lot over the years which has saved me lots of money. I know how to unblock toilets, get rid of wasp nests, lay carpets, decorate, simple plumbing jobs and I can do most jobs around the house. If it wasn't for my dad and my fella I would have paid someone to do something that I now know how to do.

Automate Savings: Set up automatic transfers to a separate savings account to ensure you're consistently saving a portion of your income.

Over the last year we have started doing this and as we transfer the money on the day the wages come in we don't really notice that it has gone from our bank accounts. The money was adding up, so much so that we had a little break away last month.

DIY Gifts: Instead of buying expensive gifts, consider making personalized gifts for friends and family.

Over the last few years we have cut down on the gifts that we buy. We have a rule in my family that if you buy a gift it has to be home made or under £5. My dad has made a start on the Christmas gifts this year. He's making everyone Sloe gin. He collected the Sloe berries a couple of months ago and has the gin brewing. 

Sell Unused Items: Declutter your space and make some extra money by selling items you no longer need. 

I did this a lot when my girls were younger with their baby things and clothes they had grown out of but now I don't have much left to sell. It was great for getting a little extra money for things that we no longer needed.

What simple money saving tips can you share?